School has started and with it the school fundraisers, Denver Post columnist Michelle Singeltary laments. Yet nowhere in her entire column complaining about the gift wrap and candy bars she is urged to hawk does she mention the proverbial elephant in the room.
Schools need fundraisers because they don’t get adequate state funding.
Colorado has the dubious distinction of ranking 49th in the precentage of the state’s wealth devoted to K-12 public schools, according to Great Education Colorado.Unfortunately, it’s the public schools in affluent areas that tend to do the best at fundraising–and therefore can offer the most attractive programs for students.
Check out this description of how fundraising has helped Bromwell Elementary School, located near the upscale Cherry Creek shopping district, with music, physical education, and art programs, among others.
It’s one thing when schools do fundraisers for extras, such as sending the school band to play in a competition in Romania. But it’s another thing all together when extra fundraising is required to finance basic programs, such as music and art instruction.
I’d much prefer to shell out a bit more in taxes to pay for school activities than buy a candy bar I don’t want from a kid who I’d rather see out playing rather than going door-to-door selling the stuff.
[crossposted at Muckraking Mom.]
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